Millennials, those of us growing up at the turn at the century, have entered the workforce in earnest. Thanks to the mass proliferation of smartphone technology, tablet computers and the Internet of Things through their teenage years, the mindset of the Millennial is radically different to that of their parents. Considering their parents entered the workforce looking at things like MS-DOS, this may not be a massive surprise. Just as the business world adapted to the new technologies released over the last few decades, it’s time for businesses to adapt to the unique new mindset of the Millennial.
In many cases the tools for this job are already in place. Many companies already own software licenses for packages like Microsoft SharePoint and Office 365 – the problem is the archaic way in which the software is implemented and utilised. By taking a more modern approach to this productivity software, such as a mobile-first, app-based deployment solution like FLEX Automation, savvy businesses around the world can now fully capitalise on the Millennial mindset.
Modernise your IT system with FLEX Automation
In order to do this however, we need to examine what it is that makes Millennials different to those who came before. It isn’t just the fact that Millennials grew up with a mobile phone in their pocket – it’s a fundamental difference in the way tasks are approached. For example, if you were to hand a 20-year-old, a 50-year-old and an 80-year-old a mobile phone and ask them to log you into Pinterest, what would happen? The chances are that the first person would immediately download the app and sign in; the second might navigate to Pinterest through Safari first and get redirected to the App Store, but ultimately they would download the App and then sign in; the third person would probably need a step by step guide on how to get to Pinterest, along with an introduction as to what it is and how it can be used to share ideas with people on the other side of the world.
While SharePoint is significantly more powerful than a single social media platform, the point stands – the Millennial will immediately take the App Store approach. It’s the most efficient way of doing the job and zero instruction needs to be given because for a Millennial the entire process is simple, intuitive and ingrained. FLEX takes this idea and applies it directly to Microsoft SharePoint. As with logging into Pinterest, there are multiple ways to go about any given task in the work environment. FLEX allows you to isolate the quickest, most efficient ways of completing your high value business processes and implement them as a best practice across your entire organisation, boosting productivity across the board. By taking an app-store approach to SharePoint, FLEX also allows you to skip the traditional deployment process, reducing your setup time and cost by up to 70% and completely sidestepping the need to train your staff on how to use their new software. FLEX makes your SharePoint and Office 365 deployment so simple and intuitive that your user adoption rates are boosted to 83% – that’s more than 10 times higher than if you followed a traditional deployment.
How FLEX helps make the most of your Millennials
This is just one way FLEX can adapt your existing SharePoint software to meet the needs of the Millennial mindset. Having grown up with mobile technology, Millennials value communication and collaboration more than any other generation before it. Having grown up in a world where a conversation can be continued on half a dozen unique devices based on whichever one is most convenient at any given point, forcing a Millennial into an antiquated IT system where collaboration is stifled is simply a waste of talent. By designing FLEX as a mobile-first platform, your collaborative efforts are now easier than ever, building an intranet for your business which lends itself to the interactivity that Millennials crave.
So how does FLEX allow your business to adopt the Millennial mindset in a nutshell? FLEX offers the ability to modernise your IT software; the opportunity to maximise your staff productivity through an intuitive interface; and the chance for your colleagues to collaborate quicker, easier and more efficiently than ever before. FLEX allows your staff to shrug off the shackles of antiquated business practices and lets your fresh new talent drive the innovation your business needs today.
To find out more join our next webinar on 08 March 2016 at 10:00 GMT.